


Times of Upheaval

by EduardoAranha



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-01 10:44:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10920231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EduardoAranha/pseuds/EduardoAranha
Summary: A sequel for season 6 finale. Lucy, Henry's daughter, searches for her father in a Land Without Magic so he can fight a new evil ruling over the Enchanted Forest. However, as Lucy starts to read the stories her father kept from her, she finds out it won't be an easy task. After all, her inheritance is a heavy burden.





	1. A Letter For Lucy

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES: After watching Once Upon a Time's season finale today, I realized I wanted to write a sequel for season 6 about Henry, what happened to him and his daughter Lucy. So, I started writing and this is what happened. Looking at it now, I guess it works like a Pilot. There is not much here yet, but if you like it, I'll write a whole chapter and write a story of about 15 to 20 chapters. And I'll also follow yout suggestions and recommendations to write this fanfiction.

 

 

**A LETTER FOR LUCY**

 

_Enchanted Forest_

_During a time of upheaval..._

My dear Lucy,

If you are reading this, I'm afraid something must have gone terribly wrong. My heart is heavy with the simple idea of imagining you roaming alone through the worlds. I didn't chose to leave you, I assure you. But sometimes dark forces find a way to estrange the people we most love, challenging us to get back to each other.

But you already know that, don't you? You're a clever girl.

That's why it's time for you to read daddy's new book. Yes, this is not a prank. _You_ can read it. In fact, you should do it. _Operation Golden Goose_ is on to the next level and you're now granted access to the contents of the book you've been protecting. However, Lucy, I must warn you: this book is more serious than you think, and as soon as you start reading it, you'll realize why you're protecting it.

A long, long time ago, when I was a child, an old story book led me to the Savior. A book like the one you've in your hands. Yes, it may even look like the old one, but you must never judge a book by its cover. The truth it holds is a new one, the story of what happened after the final battle your grandma Emma fought. Here are the tales I've never told you about our family.

You know, stories never end. That moment when good and evil did the right thing, a new beginning started. And yes, for a few years everything seemed finally as it should be, I was certain it was the beginning of a new, happy and wonderful story. But for how long can a story be a happy one? For a time, I believed in forever. I could dwell on those happy days if I had the time to write about them. You've heard me and mommy telling you most of them anyway.

But they are only part of a greater truth.

What you'll find out here is that somewhere in those happy years after the final battle, darkness found a way to creep back into to our lives again, as it always does. We were blinded by our own happiness to realize the world was changing around us, that time was stopping once again and that magic was slowly being drained from Storybrooke. That's is the reason I've never told you about why we moved to the Enchanted Forest.

Something happened, and even today we don't know what exactly. As soon as we started catching the signals of something wicked in our town, we tried to find out what kind of evil was destroying it. We scavenged the forest. We questioned every newcomer in Storybrooke. Regina even tried to create a new spell. But the town was dying by itself, the threads of magic sustaining it growing weaker by the day… and one morning we simply woke up back on the Enchanted Forest.

I guess the new story truly started _that_ moment, when everything started to go from bad to worst. And it was also by then that we realized who among our people was the new Savior… and you know your lessons, Lucy, don't you? Wherever there's a Savior, there's a villain who brings them down.

This is the kind of stories you'll find here.

Here is the reason why you need to find me.

And I believe you can do it.

I truly do, little one.

Love you more than stardust,

Dad


	2. Resume Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR’S NOTE: Well, I don’t know how I wrote this in a day, but I’m glad I did it. First of all, I’ll thank to anyone who reviewed the first chapter. I was curious to see what Henry’s story would be, and the result was curious indeed. I must warn you though that this chapter, and most of the story, will follow the format of the series: different plotlines, at different times, intertwined with each other. And since Henry is the lead character here, most of the storylines will follow his days before Lucy was born and went to find him in Seattle vs. his adventure with Lucy to save his family.
> 
> I’ve mixed feelings right now about Once Upon A Time. It was such a great show, but for the last few months I was not really hooked on the plotlines. I was sure it would end with this season in a high note. In fact, for the last five episodes I regained the same excitement I felt when watching the first seasons and the finale was wonderful. The ending, as you see, even inspired me to write this fanfiction right away. I started believing again in a show I was ready to give up. But now ABC is moving OUAT to Fridays’ death slot, and I’m afraid the series will be treated as a “show to end as soon as possible”. I hope Henry and Lucy’s story make this last run worth it.
> 
> At last, I want you to know I’m Portuguese (from Portugal) and that my English isn’t always correct. If you find any errors in the text, feel free to send me a PM to correct me. Thank you so much and I hope you like this chapter as much as I liked to write it.

 

**— CHAPTER ONE —**

**Resume Game**

 

 

_Seattle_

_2027_

 

It could’ve been an ordinary Tuesday night for Henry Mills.

But then someone knocked at his door.

As the sound settled around his small apartment, he knew it couldn’t be his housekeeper, since Maud had her own key and used to do her chores every Monday and Thursday. And it couldn’t be the delivery guy. He hadn’t placed any order since the package with the new edition of _Fables V_ had arrived.

 _Well, that’s sad_ , he thought to himself, pausing the videogame.

If the housekeeper and the delivery guy were the first ones on his mind when someone knocked at the door, that meant something was terribly wrong with him. He looked over his shoulder, toward the door, right before a second knock sounded through the flat. The words on the screen were like a temptation: _Press Play to Resume Game._

By simply pressing a button he could continue the game and ignore whoever was outside. In fact, if he wanted to finish the game to publish the walk-through on YouTube he couldn’t lose a minute.

At least, that was the argument he tried to use to convince himself. But what if it was something important?

“Alright, alright…” He mumbled, slightly irritated, leaving the couch. “I’m coming.”

What he saw through the peephole was even more intriguing than someone knocking at his door at 7 PM.

The _someone_ was a little girl.

Slowly, he turned the key in the lock and opened the door just enough to show his face.

“Uh… hello?”

The girl smiled nervously. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn’t say what. Was she one of the neighbors’ daughters? _Well, how could I know?_ He rarely left his apartment. Nonetheless, the little girl seemed likable enough for him to interact with her.

“Hi. Are you Henry Mills?” She asked promptly.

 _How do you know my name, little devil?_ The question almost left his lips, but he managed to contain it.

“Yeah.” _What a poor answer_ , he thought. He had to say something else. “Yeah.” He repeated, just as dumb as one of those stupid creatures he was crushing on the videogame. “Who are you?”

“My name is Lucy.” The girl continued, very determined. “I’m your daughter.”

_Daughter._

For a second he felt nothing beneath his feet.

 _Daughter?!,_ he asked, panicking.

The word suspended midair.

A series of faces, faces emerging directly from his past, passed right before his eyes.

Marissa from the diner. Violet from the High School reunion. Little Joni from Tinder… No. It couldn’t be her. Their little encounter had happened only a year or two ago, and the little girl was at least six years old. So maybe Hannah from the video store?

That was it. There were no other possibilities.

_Oh, God. I’m a joke._

“I don’t have a daughter.” He replied, starting to close the door. Henry was not totally sure about those words, but he had to bluff himself out of that mess. As the words came out, calm returned as a gulp of fresh air.

How had he fooled himself thinking that _he_ could actually have a daughter? He had always been cautious.

 _Yeah, this is a prank from someone of the online gaming group_. Probably from Troll1997 or even from the pr1nc3ss_0f_th3_darkw3b. They were pranksters and cruel enough to send a little girl to his doorstep with a bunch of lies. Oh yeah, they truly were.

But when the girl prevented him from closing the door, something told him this couldn’t be a prank.

“Yeah, you _do_.” There was something more than determination in her voice now. There was also a little bit of desperation. “Now come on. Your family needs you.”

Yes, it could’ve been an ordinary night for Henry Mills, but for the first time in months something was happening outside his TV screen.

 

* * *

 

 

_A few years before…_

_The Enchanted Forest_

_2020_

In a way, it was like waking up from a dream.

Just a few hours ago, he had fallen asleep on his bedroom, watching a comedy movie on _Netflix_. He could almost sense the smell of lasagna mingling in the air with the scent of candles and Violet’s perfume. She was also there, of course. After all, they had had the house for themselves for the night to celebrate their third anniversary as a couple. With his eyes still closed, he could _almost_ sense her cuddled by his side under the blankets. In a way, that was perfection.

The guilt of not having waited for Emma and Hook to come back home was easily overpowered by the idea of lying there without any care, just dozing off back to sleep for a few more minutes. Later he could find out if there were any developments in finding out whatever was ripping apart Storybrooke. The most probable, anyway, was that nothing new had been found out.

Any other day he would’ve accompanied them and Regina down the mines, to investigate and help any way he could. But not that night.

 _Turn off for a night, kid,_ Emma had said.

 _Amaze the lass with Granny’s lasagna recipe_ , Hook had suggested, blinking _. That little trick worked with me._

And so, with a bit of guilt, he had followed the advice and spent the night preparing a romantic dinner.

He relished on those thoughts for a few more seconds, until he finally opened his eyes.

It was then he realized something was not right.

Henry was stared to ceiling for a few seconds. He had never seen that ceiling, had he? It wasn’t made of wood, nor even stone, but cloth. Red cloth.

“What…?” The word came out of his month as his eyes settled on the enormous bedroom around him.  

He was no longer in his bedroom at Emma’s house. Instead, he was in a large chamber, lying on a canopy bed. A desk full of papers, inkpots and candles stood in a corner, close to a bookshelf with dozens of leather bound books he had never seen in his life. Gulping, he looked around again, this time to look for any remnant of the night before: the _iPad_ where he was watching the movie, the popcorn bucket or even his sneakers. All of it was gone.

 “Violet?” Henry asked, his voice shaking in fear and shock. “Violet, are you here?”

But the bed was empty, and silence was the only answer he received.

 _This is a nightmare,_ he said, trying to calm down. _Nothing more than a nightmare._

He closed his eyes and pinched himself on the arm, certain that pain would force him to face reality. But as the pain spread through his arm, and the luxurious chamber didn’t disappear, he accepted his defeat: he was in a bedroom that was not his, in a place that wasn’t Storybrooke, in a bed far away from Violet.

It didn’t take long for Henry to get out of bed.

He looked around the chamber once more, noticing his reflection in a full body size mirror. He was not even wearing his pajamas, for God’s sake! Instead, he had a white tunic, with a golden embroidery on the sleeves and the collar, something a man in the Middle Ages would’ve used to sleep and bath.

His hair was terribly disheveled, and a shadow of a beard spread across his face. Being nineteen years old, he had grown taller, especially thanks to the training sessions with Hook and grandpa Charming. _You’re getting into the shape of a knight_ , grandpa used to tell him, during sword practice. Not really sword _sword_ , since they used shovels and garden utensils to train.

However, he looked nothing like a knight now. He was pale, and his eyes mirrored the fear and horror pulsating through his veins. He walked barefoot to one of the windows, still looking for answers.

Trees, hundreds of trees, greeted him far below. The morning light was spreading through the clear sky, birds twittered on the rooftop above him and somewhere in the distance he could see a town, with his little chimneys letting out thin threads of smoke.

It was then the truth hit him.

“This is the Enchanted Forest.”

Inclining over the window rail, he inspected the long marble staircase that led to the castle, the small turrets looming down below and even the familiar bridge. Yes, he knew exactly where he was, but not why or how he had come there. Even if he had a guess or two.

In less than a minute, he scavenged the chests full of clothes, looking for something proper to wear. He wouldn’t walk out of the chambers in a tunic that was little more than underwear. After digging through chainmail, armor, cloaks and fancy clothing proper to a nobleman, he finally found a purple ceremonial cloak that resembled a bed robe. It would have to serve for the moment.

“And this too.” He said, pulling a sword from a crook on the wall.

Sir Henry, or someone that didn’t resemble at all like a knight, stepped outside the chamber to the halls of the Royal Castle.

He was determined to look for answers and, above anything else, to find his family.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_Seattle_

 

 

“I’ve to help my family, huh?” Henry asked, starting to lose his patience.

He would’ve appreciated the joke if it had ended right before any mention of his family. But this proved that whoever was behind this was an expert, probably hacking computers or government servers to find details about his family. He had never told anyone about his wretched mother, so there was no way a little girl coming out of nowhere could make such request.

“Well, I guess I don’t have one of those either.”

It was a half lie.

His mother, Emma, had left him when he was sixteen, a few years after his father had passed away in a mysterious car accident. She had never truly accepted that loss, losing her job and turning to vodka to drown her feelings. And then a day had come when she had packed her bags and told him she would be visiting an old friend in Boston for a few weeks.

And she was gone.

It seemed the friend was more like a lover, and so she took the decision of leaving Henry behind. They hadn’t spoken for eleven years. Any postcards she sent him on Christmas or his birthday were sent directly to the paper bin. He had learned the hard way how to survive alone, and anything related to that woman was of no interest to him.

“Yes, you _have_.” The girl insisted, passing him the book she was holding in her right hand. “And I can prove it, if you let me.”

He looked with reluctance to the book. It seemed like an old fairytale book, with an apple tree on the cover and the words _Once Upon A Time_ right below it.

“And what family could that be?” Henry asked, averting his gaze from the book.

The girl shook her head, as if she was finding hard to register how dumb he was.

“Haven’t you heard me? I just told you: _our_ family. That’s the one who needs help.”

Henry rolled his eyes again and took a step back, prepared to close the door and put an end to that anecdote.

“Dad, you won’t lock me out again—”

“Will you stop with that?” He retorted, raising his voice. “I’m not your father.”

“And I told you are.” She insisted almost at the same time.

_Oh, God, what have I done to deserve this?_

“Look, girl… Let me be clear with you. I don’t know what you want and I don’t truly care. I’ve important things to do, you see?” He said, thinking about the paused game waiting for him. “If you want, I can call your parents… Oh, God, don’t look at me _that_ way!” Once again, Lucy was taking him for the most stupid person in the world and her eyes mirrored that. “I can call your true _parents_ , whoever they are, so they can pick you here and take you home with them. Otherwise, I’ll call the police and let them deal with you. A little girl should know better than messing around with other people’s businesses.”

This time, it was Lucy who rolled her eyes impatiently.

“You’re boring in this land.” She said, surprisingly feisty.

“ _Land?_ What do you mean?”

Lucy smiled, assuming a strange angelical posture.

“Exactly what you heard.” She whispered, sighing. “But I guess it’s fine.” She bit her lower lip, trying to peep to the house behind Henry. “Well… Do you have hot cocoa?”

_She is a strange girl indeed._

Even so, Henry smiled back.

_Strange, yet fascinating._

“Well, yes… I do.”

“Perfect.” She smiled, taking a step further. “I would like some, if you’d kind enough to prepare me a cup.” Henry stood by the door, still preventing the girl from entering. “In payment, I can tell you a story… and, if you don’t believe me after that, I promise to go away.”

“Hum.” The girl was definitely cheeky, and for her bravery she certainly deserved her cocoa. But would he really let her inside his humble dominions? A girl who claimed to be his daughter, and who demanded hot cocoa like a little princess? “Yeah, alright. I guess I can give you some cocoa.”

The girl smiled, triumphant.

“But please do me a favor…” He asked, letting her in. “Don’t call me dad.”


	3. The Returnees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the reviews, follows and PMs with suggestions. I’ve been planning the story ahead and I’ve already an idea about who is the antagonist and I’ll soon start sharing that with you. I’ve been following the news and the details already known about season 7 so build a story just as close and familiar to the series. Well, this chapter is set on the Enchanted Forest. I decided to remove the action happening on Seattle because the chapter is getting longer than I expected. However, that means the next chapter is almost finished and that I’ll be sharing it with you tomorrow or the day of after that.

 

**Chapter Two**

The Returnees

 

_Enchanted Forest_

_Right after the return_

Not long after leaving his chambers, Henry heard movement right around the corner.

Up until that moment the Royal Castle had proved to be a bunch of empty luxurious bedrooms and ballrooms. He had explored the rooms by himself, recognizing some of them from the book, but most didn’t hold any answers to whatever was happening. They were mostly covered in dust, the furniture covered with white blankets and the chandeliers wrapped in cobwebs.  However, he endured in this strange quest with excitement, sure someone would appear eventually. Probably a maid, or a guard or as, he hoped, someone closer.

As the rustle of fabric reached his ears, and the sound of footsteps grew louder, he realized whoever was coming was running. He stopped on his heels for a moment, pressing his body against the wall. Clenching the sword’s pommel in his hands, he stretched his neck slowly to peek around the corner and find out who was on the other side. Sweat ran down his forehead, along his nose.

_Be valiant, especially when facing the unknown._

 “Kid, is that you?”

There was just one person who would call him kid.

And it wasn’t an enemy

“Mom!”

As he turned the corner, the sword slipped from his grip and fell on the ground soundly. In a blink of an eye, his arms opened to embrace Emma. His mother returned the embrace warmly, as if she hadn’t seen him for years. Feeling her body trembling against his, and her raggedy breath, he quickly understood she was trying to recompose herself from the run. Her warm breath caressed his neck, and her disheveled hair tickled his ears, strangely making him feel safe.

“Have you seen Hook?” She asked quickly, finally breaking the embrace to place a hand on his shoulder.

It seemed Emma was no longer the sheriff of Storybrooke, but a Princess of the Enchanted Forest. She was wearing a night gown of light red fabric, with swans embroidered in white and gold thread on the collar and sleeves. More than regal, she looked like a sleeping fairy princess. Sparks formed in her hands as she summoned some kind of spell. Whatever it was, it didn’t work.

“Hook? He is also not here?” Henry asked, peeking over her shoulder to the empty corridor behind.

Emma shook her head, disappointment filling her eyes.

“I’ve tried using our marriage ring to produce a locater spell, but it’s not working.” She said, showing the ring laying coldly in the palm of her hand.

“Violet is gone too.” Henry revealed, feeling the plot thickening.

“Yes, yes… I guess that makes sense.” She said, sighing. It was incredible how she managed to put such incredible amount of resentment and despair in that one sound. “But that doesn’t mean she is in danger, kid.” She placed an hand on his shoulder and faked a smile. “Unfortunately, it just means we failed. Storybrooke is gone.”

Nodding toward the corridor, she started walking. Henry followed, after retrieving his sword from the ground.

“So, the town is really gone?”

“Yeah.” She replied. “It’s the only thing explaining why we are here.”

The Enchanted Forest. Henry had always imagined how different his life would be in his grandparent’s homeland. Lately, he had grown used to the idea of such a life. The tales Violet used to tell him about her time at Camelot had intertwined with what he knew from the book about the life at the Forest in the Fairy Tale Realm. However, since his family had decided to stay on Storybrooke, the chance to live in a different world was remote.  

But here he was.

“But why now? Did something happen last night?” He asked, keeping her pace.

Emma shrugged, before checking if a staircase was clear.

“I wish I could answer that, kid.” She said, already on her way down to a hallway. “I don’t think it was _our_ fault. We were down on the mines as usual, assisting Mother Superior with a new spell. She was attempting to revive the fairy crystals, or at least to find out why they had lost their power. I don’t think she actually achieved to do anything, though. We’ll have to find her to have an answer for that… Well, then I don’t know what happened. Last thing I remember was the clock striking midnight and that’s it. When I opened my eyes, I was laying on a bed, all alone, looking to the most dreadful pink curtains I’ve seen on my life.”

“The town must’ve collapsed, then.” Henry said. “Maybe Rumple’s theory was right. Without a curse once in a while, the enchantments sustaining the town grew weaker…”

“Yes, that’s my guess too.”

“Which means that if Storybrooke is gone, all of its people must have been transferred to another place.”

“Or Realms.” Emma corrected him, and that was when Henry understood why she looked so concerned. “I think we returned to the Realms where our stories are supposed to happen.” She said. “That would explain why the locator spell isn’t working with Hook. He is not here, not in this world… And we’re clearly on the Enchanted Forest, back in the Royal Castle, just because my parents are Snow White and Prince Charming and this is their home.”

_Yes, that makes sense._

“So, I guess that means all the others must have returned to the places they were before the first curse created Storybrooke.”

                Emma turned his head to him and nodded.

If their supposition was right, the implications were far too grave. Regina, Rumplestiltskin, Belle and Gideon were not on the castle, or even at the village, but at least they should be somewhere on the Enchanted Forest. Finding them wouldn’t be hard. Violet was farther than any of them, a few days ride away from Camelot. Presuming she was back with her father, she would be safe. But many others could not even be on this Realm. Hook could be back at Neverland, sailing aboard _The Jolly Roger_ while Zelena, for instance, could have returned to Oz. Places reachable only through magic portals.

 _We’ll get them back,_ he said to himself, unable to share those words with his mom. Part of him truly believed all of them would be together very soon, but there was a sliver of doubt in his belief, large enough to make him hold his words. First, they had to know what waited for them in this Unfamiliar Land, if someone was behind their misfortune or if it was only a mishap of the destiny.

Then, they would make plans.

“Your Highnesses.”

The voice of a man - a familiar voice - startled them. They turned, unable to identify or even find the source of the voice. A ball of fire came to Emma’s hand, while Henry lifted his sword again.

“No, over here!” The man repeated.

As they turned their heads above, they saw a cricket flying down in their direction.

It was Archie, but not the Archie they knew. At least, not has they had known him for the last few years. He was again Jiminy Cricket, beating his wings to fly over them with his little suit and top hat.

“Archie? Don’t scare us that way again.” Emma said, putting the fire out. “I’m not ready to be called Your Highness.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Emma. I was not sure if I should address you by your title… I guess things are a little more formal here.”

“Well, no need for that in the future. Are you alright?”

Archie cricked and it sounded awfully as a laugh. He landed on the bannister of the staircase.

“I think I’ll miss my human body but aside from that, everything is perfectly fine considering the circumstances.”

“Have you seen anyone else?” Henry pressed.

“Yes, I have.” Jiminy said, turning his little head to him. “In fact, I was sent to look after you just minutes ago. Snow and Charming have just left their chambers and are headed to the Council Chamber to summon their allies.”

_If Snow and Charming are here, our theory must be right._

                Without questions, they followed Jiminy Cricket in silence as he led them to one of the most magnificent chambers they had seen in the castle. It was circular, with a row of windows facing a lake and the distant outline of the forest. A great wooden circular table was placed at the center of the room, even though around it was a display of armors, weapons, maps to far way lands and cabinets full of strange devices and objects.

“Oh, Archie, you’ve found them!” Snow stood from her chair and came right to them. She was also wearing a night gown and looked as disturbed as them. Prince Neal, who had grown to be just as charming as his father at the age of five, was hiding behind her mother’s skirt.

“I’m afraid they were already on their way, Your Highness.” Archie replied, bowing midair.

Snow quickly embraced Emma and Henry.

“Oh, I was worried you two had been shipped off to Boston.”

The moment she broke the embrace, the smile was already gone and the frown of worry was back on.

 “No sign of Violet and Hook?”

“Just as gone as Storybrooke.” Henry confirmed, nodding toward Emma. “But we have a theory about what could’ve happened to them.”

“And I’m eager to hear it, but first another businesses shall be attended.” Interrupted Charming, approaching slowly. He was holding a map in his hand, and what seemed to be a letter opener. The blade was emanating a eerie light. “Jiminy, we don’t have time to lose. Can you go to the village? Gather the dwarves, Granny and the usual gang. Any help will be welcome. Ask them to check if everyone is back on their homes, if someone is missing and then come back to report everything.”

“Yes, yes, Your—” Jiminy stopped, cricking nervously again. “I swear it must be from the air of the Enchanted Forest! I’m so sorry, but the word Highness keeps blurting out!”

Charming laughed, before sending the cricket away. Archie left through a window, flying away toward the forest.

“Come then.” Snow said, leading them back to the table.

As Henry and Snow took their places, with little Neal climbing to a chair of his own, Emma started sharing her theory about what could’ve happened to the others. Both heard her theory, nodding calmly. After that, Charming quickly shared his views on the matter, agreeing that something of the sort should’ve happened.

“If Hook is back on Neverland, he will know what to do.” Charming tried to recomfort Emma, sensing the concerns she had save for herself. “And I assure you, we’ll get him back, and whoever is not here and wishes to join us. But I’m afraid first we’ve to make sure the Enchanted Forest is safe.”

 “Safe?”

“Many years have passed since we left.” Snow explained quickly. “There is much to do! The ties between the Royal Houses of the Enchanted Forest must be strength and we need to make sure our defenses are strong. Besides, the Forest may have new inhabitants.”

 “That will takes us weeks.” Emma said. “Hook may not have weeks. Neverland was not in a good place last time we left, was it?”

“No, it wasn’t.” Charming assured, smiling. “That’s why I have an idea, Emma.”

He spread the map he was keeping to himself over the table.

The old parchment comprised the whole territory of the Enchanted Forest, which was greater than Henry had ever thought. Separated from Agrabah by South, from Arendelle and DunBroch by the North, and by Camelot by the East, the Enchanted Forest was like a broken mirror, with many lines dividing territories and kingdoms. Charming pointed to the rectangle where the words Charming’s Royal Castle.

“This is a Royal Map.” He explained. “Every kingdom has one just like this and uses it to communicate with neighbor kingdoms in times of upheaval.” Charming pressed the letter opener on top of the Maritime Kingdom and a golden glow spread through the words. “See? King Eric just received my summons.” Many others within the limits of the forest had been contacted, like Cinderella, Aurora and Rapunzel. “I expect all of them will be here in a day or two.”

Henry couldn’t hide his fascination.

“And Regina? Have you called for her yet?”

Charming pointed to the words _Dark Palace_ , placed somewhere North. They were already glowing gold.

“She was the first one I summoned.” He said, calmly. “Considering she can travel fast than the others, I guess she’ll be here within the hour.”

Emma sniffed and looked around, starting to grow uncomfortable.

 “And what about Camelot and Agrabah?” Pressed Henry. “You can contact them too or only the territories within the limits of the Enchanted Forest?”

“I can contact _all_ the kingdoms in the map.” Charming clarified. “Even though I’m not totally sure if I want to contact Camelot after what happened during our visit.”

“But Violet must be there!” Henry said, aghast.

Charming nodded.

“Henry, I wish the map could be _that_ simple. Unfortunately, contacting Camelot’s court wouldn’t do much. After our last visit to Camelot and Arthur’s demise, we don’t know has taken the throne. We must deal first with our own politics before dealing with foreign kingdoms.”

Emma gulped and even before she spoke Henry knew what she was about to say.

“So, the plan is to check if everyone is safe and summon the royal houses of the Enchanted Forest to a Great Council?” Emma asked.

“Yes.” Snow confirmed, trying to smile. “Together we’ll decide the best way to start building our lives again.”

It was Emma’s turn to smile, but there was a bit of sarcasm in her lips.

“Mom, I’m not ready to give up on Storybrooke.”

Snow looked confused, even though her confusion was only a mask to hide how nervous she was.

“Emma, Storybrooke is gone.” She said. “I don’t think there is anything to go back.”

That had been an ongoing argument, one that had started back on Storybrooke when the town started to crumble. Charming had shown some interest in getting back to the Enchanted Forest, but Emma had always opposed to it, insisting they could move to another town and start a new life. Snow had been somewhere in the middle, trying to moderate the argument and calm them.

But not anymore.

“I told you I don’t think I can live here.” Emma said, casting a glance toward Henry to seek support. “Henry is applying to colleges and I want him to finish his education in a proper university, not in a courtyard learning how to be a knight. This is not our world.”

_This is not our story._

“Emma, this is your world.” Charming insisted. “You’ve just said it. The moment Storybrooke went down, we returned to the place where we belong. You returned to the Enchanted Forest, not to Boston. This has to mean something to you.”

She simply crossed her arms.

“I was not carved to be a princess. You know that.”

“You won’t have to be a _princess_.” Snow said, quickly. “You can be whoever you want to be, Emma! We can even give you some land so you can build your own palace with Hook. Maybe a nice place by the sea—”

 Silence installed between them for a moment, and tension grew palpable.

“We’ll discuss this later.” Emma said, eager to erase the worry look from Snow’s face. The idea of having her family separated again, this time not by a curse, but because a personal choice, was something she couldn’t bear. “What’s the plan next? What will we do after the Great Council?”

“Hum, yes, well...” Charming quickly tried to focus again. “I suppose we’ll have to form parties to clear the Forest, make plans to reinforce the security on her boarders and—”

“Diplomacy, then.” Emma said, smiling. “Well, I’ll let you deal with _that_. In the meanwhile, I think I can be useful elsewhere… maybe looking around for magic beans?”

“On your own? I think that’s out of the question, Emma. The Forest is not safe.” Snow protested heartily, extending a hand to stop Gideon from grabbing the magical letter opener. “And you don’t know the land!”

“You can’t truly expect I’ll stay here while Hook is lost somewhere in Neverland.”

“Don’t forget Violet.” Added Henry quickly, trying to be part of the debate.

“Emma, I’m sure we’ll find a way to get him back, both of them back, but you’ve to be patient—”

“We can take our chances.” Henry said, casting his support for Emma. If they could do something for Hook and Violet, then they should do it. Snow and Charming would resume their lives ruling their territory and people, but court life was of no use for them at the moment.

Emma answered with a grateful smile.

“Charming, back me up here…” Snow requested, nervously.

“Snow, they’ll be fine.” Charming said, amused. “In fact, I think it’s a good idea. Let them go.”

_Operation Lizard is officially on._

“Haven’t you heard what I said?” Snow asked, slightly outraged. “They don’t even know how to reach the village! How are they supposed to hunt for magic beans? Besides, there are no automobiles in the Enchanted Forest. You’ll have to go by horse and I’m sure neither of you knows how to mount.”

“Mom, haven’t you just said I could do as I wanted?” Emma retorted. “Besides, after all this time, I think I proved I can defend myself.”

“And we know the Enchanted Forest from the book!” Henry added. “We’ll learn more just as you did when you were a bandit escaping from the Evil Queen.”

“Oh, Regina!” Emma said, smiling. “I’m sure she will want to come with us.”

“Alright, alright. I give up.” Snow conceded, not yet entirely convinced they would be well succeeded. “But I want you to talk with the fairies before leaving. I believe you can find magic beans in the Giant’s Lair, but Blue will be able to give you a better lead.”

A swoosh right by the door made them turn their heads.

A black twirl of smoke told them someone was coming out of thin air and it wasn’t hard to guess who.

“Regina!” Snow yelled, happily.

Their smiles quickly vanished as soon as they land their eyes on Regina. She was wearing a black dress, and had her hair done at the usual fashion of the Evil Queen, with black amethysts glowing in it. However, as she exchanged glances with them, Henry realized something had happened.

“I hope you’ve summoned your allies, Charming.” She said, taking a step further. She placed a hand on Henry’s shoulder, glad to see him safe but too much distressed to say anything else. “Because something wrong is definitely going on and by the looks of it…” She gulped, and her hand squeezed Henry’s shoulder. “I’m starting to get the feeling we’ve fallen into a trap.”


	4. Hot Chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your reviews and follows. If you like this story, share your review. It’s very important to keep me motivated.

**Chapter Four**

Hot Chocolate

**_Seattle_ **

_Present Day_

 

“Here is your hot chocolate.” Henry said, placing a cup right in front of Lucy. The girl had taken a place on the table, and had opened her book. Her eyes moved from the pages to the steamy cup avidly.

“Thank you.” She said, grabbing the cup’s handle.

“Whatever.” Henry replied, sniffing. He pushed a chair in front of the girl and sit, before returning to his iPhone. While on the kitchen preparing the chocolate, he had turned to the source of all power: Google.  Even so, Google was not doing its magic this time. The history on his browser was getting stranger by the search.

_False daughter prank._

_Worst pranks on the Internet._

_Missing children._

_Lost children._

_What to do when you find a lost child._

_DNA paternity test._

“So, can I tell you my story?” She asked, interrupting him.

Henry looked away from the screen for a few seconds and shrugged.

“Yeah, yeah. Go on.”

Lucy was looking closely and, once again, there was that same glint of reproach in her eyes, judging him.

“My father taught me is rude to read when someone is talking to me.” Lucy said, looking reproachfully to the iPhone. “I guess that thingy you have categorizes as reading.”

Henry smirked and locked the iPhone instantly, making it disappear inside the pocket of his jeans.

“I thought you said _I_ was your father.”

Lucy took another sip of hot chocolate.

“And you are.” She pressed on, cleaning a chocolate moustache with the back of her hand.

 “Oh, yeah? I could I’ve taught you good manners if—?”

“I can explain it.” Lucy said, quickly. “But you’ll have to wait. That bit is further down on the book and… Well, you had a restrict policy about spoilers.”

Henry laughed and clapped, totally amazed with the girl’s imagination.

“Oh, yeah, I should’ve guessed _that_.” He answered sarcastically. In a clear show of impatience, he grabbed again his iPhone and resumed the search.

“You _really_ are boring in this land, aren’t you?” Lucy asked, astounded, fulminating him and his iPhone with her eyes. “Boring _and_ rude.”

This time, Henry simply ignored her.

“Well, I shouldn’t blame you for that.” She continued, finishing her chocolate. “After all, it’s not your fault.”

 _Not listening to this babble_ , he said to himself. _I’ll just let her finish her chocolate and send her on her way._ The article he was now reading was about a man who had find out he had five children he didn’t knew and was far more interesting than Lucy and her disillusions.

“It’s the spell.”

Again, he smirked.

“Spell, hum?”

_Oh, damn, I was not supposed to answer!_

“Of course.” She continued, smiling again. “The spell I’m supposed to break.”

“Oh, yeah? Tell me about that awesome spell, then.”

The girl smiled, glad to finally have his attention.

“Well, I guess I can do that, even if it isn’t the right way to break the spell.” She said, thinking out loud. She looked to the book, and back to him, and again to the back. The dilemma was clear in her eyes. “I know I’m the one supposed to break the spell, but I don’t know yet how to do it, you see? I hoped that knock at your door would be enough, but since it wasn’t, I’ll use other method.”

“Tell your tale, little girl. I’m losing my patience.”

“Alright, alright!” Surprisingly, she closed the book. “Well, you’ve no memory of _that_ , but a month ago you were captured by the Enchantress’ minions.”

“By the Enchantress’ minions?” This was actually fun now.

“Yes. The Enchantress. I don’t know how they found us. We had been hiding for a few years, living the in the Root Cottage at the limits of the Forest… But once again, that story is for later. What matters here is that the Enchantress found us, and you lost your battle against her creatures. And they chained you, or so grandma Regina told me, to take you to the Enchantress’ Lair. But something happened on the journey there, and Regina found a way to free you. I don’t know much details about that moment, but I know she put you under a spell, casting you away into this Land Without Magic, with false memories blurring your mind. That’s way you never leave this stinky place. The spell makes you stay indoors, living a meaningless quiet life far away from the Enchantress’ reach. At least, until we found a way to get you back.”

 _Is this for real?_ He couldn’t even laugh now. The tale was incredibly absurd and hilarious, but the way the girl told it, with that serious and solemn expression on her face made it somehow realistic. Not realistic enough for him to believe in all that nonsense, but enough to make him control the laughter.

“Wow. That’s indeed a curious story.” He managed to say, smiling. “Are you finished?”

“Have I broken the spell?”

Henry shrugged and turned around.

“Hum, well, I guess not.”

“Then I’m not finished.” She said, biting her lip, as if jogging down her memory to find another way to breach through his mind, to get her hands on another weapon to make him believe, to pull another trick to keep the prank going on.

“Look, Lucy, I don’t have time for this—”

“What’s your mother’s name?”

_My family again?_

“Well, little girl, I think that doesn’t concern you.”

Lucy smiled cheekily, certain she had stroked a chord.

“Emma, right? Emma what?”

_Emma._

For the first time since their encounter minutes ago, something made him shiver.

“Emma.” He repeated, surprised. “Her name is Emma Swan.”

“And your father?”

He hesitated for a second before obliging with the request. How much could the girl know?

“Neal.” He said. “Neal Cassidy.”

Lucy smiled and crossed her arms, resting her case.

“Well, then how do you explain the fact that your name is Henry… _Mills_?”

_Mills._

For a moment, his mind fought with itself to grasp the truth of something he couldn’t understand. It was like a sea of mist. He could see the beam of light in the distant, but he couldn’t cross the way to it. And then he felt his face wet, as if rain was pouring. No, it was not rain. Slowly, he realized it was a tear. He was crying.

The smile was gone from the girl’s lips, replaced by a concerning look.

_No._

“Get out right now.” He said, a storm of emotions breaking inside him.

“What?” She asked, taken aback with shock. She was so sure her little mind game would break her stupid spell, but it had just hurt him.

“I don’t know who you are, or who put you put to this, but I want you gone right now or I’ll call the cops.”

“Dad, but—”

“I’m not you father!” He yelled, unable to stop the tears now. “Get out! Get out _now_!”

Lucy was now crying too, her voice embargoed by sobs and the sense of defeat. She grabbed her book and ran through the apartment, knocking down the chocolate mug on her way out. Leaving the door ajar, she ran to the stairs and disappeared.

Alone in his apartment again, Henry hid his face behind his hands to detain the sobs and clean the tears, but it was not an easy task. Why was he so disturbed? A headache started spreading through his head. An invisible creature hosted inside his head seemed to be crawling its way out, making each second hurt as hell. A pain that was doubt.

Unknown.

Fear.

_Who Am I?_

He could remember the face of his mother, the presence of his father, but now he started remembering something else. Up until that moment his memories had been shallow, as if they were the fake bottom of a drawer. However, that bottom had now be pulled up, and the answers were emerging.

_Mills._

Why was he called Mills? He should be Swan, or Cassidy, not Mills.

Not Mills.

 _The flaw in the spell,_ whispered a motherly voice in the back of his mind. _So he can remember who he is when the right moment comes._

He gasped.

“The spell is real.” He mumbled to himself. “It has to be.”

Swallowing a breath of fresh air, he turned around and grabbed a jacket before running to the open door.

He was not done with Lucy.

As he stepped outside, the spell wrapping his mind started to crumble.


End file.
